Is INCONEL the same as hastelloy?
As your operation grows and you introduce new ways to provide value to your customers, you may find that your woven wire mesh isn't performing as well as it was used to. Since 304 and 316 stainless steel are often used for woven wire mesh, it's likely time to upgrade your wire mesh to accommodate the evolution of your process.
For those working in extremely hot conditions, you must turn to specialty alloys to ensure that the properties of the mesh are maintained at high temperatures. Fortunately, alloys such as Hastelloy and Inconel can be woven to your desired mesh specifications to provide precise screening/filtration in extreme temperatures.
So, how do Hastelloy and Inconel compare?
To that end, we've written the following article to help you understand how Hastelloy and Inconel compare.
What you'll learn:
What is Hastelloy
Benefits of using Hastelloy wire mesh
What is Inconel
Benefits of using Inconel wire mesh
Which alloy makes more sense for you
What is Hastelloy?
Hastelloy is a specialty wire mesh alloy with unique corrosion and heat resistance. Hastelloy is based on nickel and contains trace amounts of molybdenum, tungsten and chromium.
That said, the addition of molybdenum and chromium, in particular, allows Hastelloy to perform under harsh conditions.
What are the benefits of Hastelloy wire mesh?
Hastelloy is known for its excellent heat resistance. More specifically, it protects against oxidation when exposed to extreme temperatures.
Therefore, the surface discoloration that often occurs in various stainless steels is limited.
In addition to its ideal heat resistance, Hastelloy has slightly better corrosion resistance than stainless steel. In particular, it has the ability to resist pitting corrosion, which is very beneficial when subjecting wire mesh to the effects of industrial acids and alkalis.
What is Inconel?
Inconel is an austenitic nickel-chromium superalloy registered by Specialty Metals. Its chemical composition consists of nickel (76%), chromium (15.8%) and iron (7.2%).
What are the advantages of Inconel wire mesh?
Like Hastelloy, Inconel is also considered a heat-resistant alloy. It is designed to withstand temperatures up to 1800°C.
Additionally, the presence of chromium means that Inconel can resist corrosion at high temperatures.
Since some of the more popular alloys tend to become less durable and corrosion-resistant when subjected to extreme temperatures, Inconel is a true specialty alloy.
Hastelloy vs. Inconel: Which One Should I Use?
Hastelloy and Inconel have proven to be specialty alloys designed for high temperature applications. But when it comes to differentiating the two, you have to look at corrosion resistance.
Both alloys have comparable corrosion resistance; however, Inconel has a slight advantage in oxidizing applications. On the other hand, Hastelloy offers better performance when it comes to reducing corrosion due to its higher molybdenum content.
